Fixing seat for rail of modem/servo carrying and stowing rack

ABSTRACT

A fixing seat is provided for fixing a rail to a modem/servo carrying and stowing rack and includes a base, retention pawls, a slide buckling member, an operation knob and springs. The base has a front section to which the retention pawls and the slide buckling member provided. The springs are provided rearward of the slide buckling member and the operation knob is formed with the slide buckling member. Thus, by operating the operation knob to drive the slide buckling member and deforms springs, together with the sliding motion of the slide buckling member into a mounting hole defined in the rack, a mounting process is realized wherein the retention pawls are first fit into the mounting hole and then the slide buckling member slides into the mounting hole to engage an opposite edge thereby fixing the rail to the rack.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a fixing seat for fixing a rail to a modem/servo carrying and stowing rack, and in particular to rail fixing seat that is conveniently operable, practical, and widely applicable for use in a rack that is commonly used for stowing servos and modems. The present invention uses an operation knob that drives a slide buckling member and deforms springs, together with the sliding motion of the slide buckling member into a mounting hole defined in the rack, to realize the mounting process in which the slide buckling member is first driven rearward by the operation knob to allow retention pawls formed on the fixing seat to fit into and engage the mounting hole and then the operation knob is released to allow the slide buckling member to return back in the frontward direction to fit into and fix to an opposite edge of the mounting hole thereby fixing the fixing seat to the rack. With the rail fixed to the fixing seat in advance, the rail is thus secured, together with the fixing seat, to the rack to provide the function of separating and stabilizing modems and/or servos received in the rack.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

The rapid development of the technology and science significantly improves living quality of human society. To make further progress in improving the human society, simple and efficient structures/devices are of promising future for enhancement of technology and good quality of products, and safety of operation and use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a fixing seat for fixing a rail to a modem/servo carrying and stowing rack, which is aimed to eliminate the inflexibility and inconvenience in mounting/dismounting the conventional racks/frames and rails and which is of practicability. The assembling between the rails and the rack in accordance with is convenient and flexible so that the arrangement of the rails and the rack can be easily varied to accommodate different sizes of devices, such as modems and servos, received therein to realize the practicability of flexible and efficient mounting/dismounting.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a fixing seat for fixing a rail to a rack, wherein when a combination resulting from the rail fixed to the rack is not satisfactory, the rails and the rack can be immediately dismounted for re-assembling without expending much costs and without using any tools, whereby the process of assembling is extremely simplified and damage and/or malfunctioning can be effectively reduced without additional costs.

To realize the above objectives, in accordance with the present invention, a fixing seat is provided for fixing a rail to a modem/servo carrying and stowing rack. The fixing seat comprises a base having a front section, retention pawls formed on the front section and forming a guide or hook extending downward and frontward, a slide buckling member movably positioned on the front section and located above the retention pawls, an operation knob coupled to the slide buckling member, and springs arranged in the base and between a rear end of the slide buckling member and a wall of the base.

The retention pawls are preferably integrally formed with the base and the integrally formed retention pawls are located in the front section of the base.

The slide buckling member has buckling portions having smooth and flat surfaces to allow an edge of a mounting hole defined in the rack to move thereon. The slide buckling member is positioned on the upper side of the base and is thus opposite to the guides of the retention pawls.

The coupling between the operation knob and the slide buckling member is such that when the operation knob is moved rearward, the slide buckling member is driven thereby to move rearward in unison therewith and the springs are deformed and when the springs are allowed to release the spring forces thereof, the operation knob and the slide buckling member are driven back to the original locations.

The operation knob is preferably integrally formed with the slide buckling member so that the operation knob and the slide buckling member are movable in unison with each other.

The base forms a wall that supports the springs so that when the springs are subjected to an external force, the springs are deformed, but not displaced, to build up a spring force for returning the slide buckling member back to the original location.

Further, the present invention uses an operation knob that drives a slide buckling member and deforms springs, together with the sliding motion of the slide buckling member into a mounting hole defined in the rack, to realize the mounting process in which the retention pawls of the fixing seat are first fit into and engage the mounting hole and then the slide buckling member is allowed to slide into the mounting hole to engage an opposite edge of the mounting hole thereby fixing the fixing seat to the rack. With the rail fixed to the fixing seat, the rail is thus secured, together with the fixing seat, to the rack to provide the function of separating modems and/or servos received in the rack.

The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fixing seat constructed in accordance with the present invention for fixing a rail to a modem/servo carrying and stowing rack;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the fixing seat of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the situation before the fixing seat is fixed to a rail;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the fixing seat fixed to the rail;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the fixing seat fixed to the rail;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the situation before the rail that is fixed with the fixing seat is inserted into a mounting hole defined in the rack;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the situation that the rail that is fixed with the fixing seat is just inserted into the mounting hole and a slide buckling member of the fixing seat is further moved into the mounting hole for securing the rail to the rack; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the rail is finally secured to the rack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1-5, a fixing seat constructed in accordance with the present invention is provided for fixing a rail, generally designated at A, in a modem/servo carrying and stowing rack, generally designated at B (see FIGS. 6-8). The fixing seat in accordance with the present invention comprises base 1, which is comprised of a plate-like front section 10 and a rear section 12. The rear section 12 is in the form of a plate having opposite side walls defining a receiving space to receive the rail A therein with the plate portion positioned against the rail A. The rear section 12 forms, in the plate portion thereof, a through hole 120 for the extension of a fastener (not shown) that fixes the base 1 to the rail A.

The front section 10 of the base 1 has a front edge forming two retention pawls 11. The front edge of the front section 10 also forms a rail gripping member 101, which forms barbs engageable with and thus fix the base 1 to a front end edge A-0 of the rail A, so that, together with the fastener received in the hole 120, the base 1 is securely fixed to the rail A.

A step-like wall 102 is formed and extends between a rear end of the front section 10 and the rear section 12, serving to support springs 3, whereby when the springs 3 are subjected to external forces, the springs 3 are compressed against the wall 102 and no displacement of the springs 3 will occur. Once the external forces, which can be forces that urge a slide buckling member 2 in a direction toward the wall 102, disappear, the spring forces of the springs 3 that abut against the wall 102 causes the slide buckling member 2 to move in an opposite direction so that the slide buckling member 2 may resume its original position.

The retention pawls 11 are formed on the front section 10 of the base 1 and extend frontward. Each retention pawl 11 has a front end segment that is bent downward, as view in the drawing of FIG. 5, and having a tip forming a guide or hook 110 that further extends frontward and downward, as viewed in FIG. 5. It is noted that to simplify the description, the terms “upper” and “lower” are used to indicate the directions viewed in FIG. 5, not those of FIGS. 1-4.

The slide buckling member 2 is positioned, in a slidable manner, on the upper surface of the plate portion of the front section 10, as viewed in FIG. 5, and is thus opposite to the retention pawls 11 with respect to the plate portion of the front section 10. The slide buckling member 2 The slide bucking member 2 comprises at least one buckling portion 20 (and two being shown in the embodiment illustrated) having a smooth and flat upper surface to allow for smooth sliding motion with respect to a circumference B-2 of a mounting hole B-0 formed in the rack B (which will be further described). Thus, the bucking portions 20 are positioned on the upper side of the base 1 and are opposite to the guides 110.

An operation knob 21 is formed, preferably integrally, on the slide buckling member 2 and is thus movable in unison with the slide buckling member 2. When an external force is applied to and moves the operation knob 21 in a rearward direction, the slide buckling member 2 is also moved rearward. When the external force is removed or disappears, the returning forces of the springs 3 cause the slide buckling members 2 and the operation knob 21 to move back to their original positions.

The springs 3 are arranged in the base 1 and are set between a rear end of the slide buckling member 2 and the wall 102 of the base 1.

Also referring to FIGS. 6-8, having described the spatial relationship and arrangement between the fixing seat and the rail A, mounting of the rail A to the rack B with the fixing seat of the present invention will be illustrated. To mount the rail A to the rack B, the rail A is first fixed to the fixing seat of the present invention, wherein the slide buckling member 2 and the operation knob 21 are first positioned on the front section 10 of the base 1 in such a way that the slide buckling member 2 is opposite to the guides 110 of the retention pawls 11 with respect to the plate portion of the front section 10. The springs 3 are then disposed on the front section 10 of the base 1 by being fit in between the rear end of the slide buckling member 2 and the wall 102 of the base 1. Thereafter, the rail A is positioned on the rear section 12 of the base 1 with the barbs of the rail gripping member 101 engaging the front end edge A-0 of the rail A; this, together with the fastener fit in the hole 120, securely fixes the fixing seat to the rail A.

If desired, an additional fixing seat can be mounted to an opposite end of the rail A so that both ends of the rail A are provided with the fixing seat. To mount the combination of the rail A and the fixing seat to the rack B, the retention pawls 11 are first inserted through the mounting hole B-0 with the retention pawls 11 engaging a circumferential edge B-1 of the hole B-0. The rail A, with the fixing seat fixed thereto, is then pushed into the mounting hole B-0, making the buckling portions 20 of the slide buckling member 2 are contacted and depressed by an opposite circumferential edge B-2 of the mounting hole B-0. Due to the smooth upper surfaces of the buckling portions 2 and the deformability of the springs 3, the force that applies from the circumferential edge B-2 to the slide buckling members 2 drives the buckling portions 2, under the depressing engagement with the circumferential edge B-2 to slide with respect to the base 1, whereby the slide buckling member 2 is first moved rearward and then returns frontward to fit into the mounting hole B-0 and engage the circumferential edge B-2. As such, the rail A, together with the fixing seat, is set in mounting engagement with the mounting hole B-0 of the rack B and the rail A and the rack B are coupled together.

In fitting the rail A, which is fixed to the fixing seat, into the mounting hole B-0, a user may apply a force to move the operation knob 21, and thus the slide buckling member 2, rearward to facilitate insertion of the rail A into the mounting hole B-0, and once the insertion is done, the user releases the operation knob 21, which under the action of the spring forces of the springs 3, moves frontward to fit into the mounting hole B-0 and set in engagement with the circumferential edge B-2. Again, the rail A, together with the fixing seat, is coupled to the mounting hole B-0 of the rack B and the rail A and the rack B are coupled together.

To remove the rail A from the rack B, a user manually moves the operation knob 21 to bring the slide buckling member 2 rearward to allow the rail A to be removed out of the mounting hole B-O.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 

1. A fixing seat for fixing a rail to a rack comprising: a base mounted to the rail and having a front section; a retention pawl formed on the front section of the base and forming guiding tip extending frontward and rearward therefrom; a slide buckling member slidably positioned on an upper surface of the front section; an operation knob formed on the slide buckling member; and springs received in the base and arranged rearward of the slide buckling member.
 2. The fixing seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base comprises a rear section forming a hole adapted to receive a fastener for mounting to the rail.
 3. The fixing seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein the front section of the base has a front end forming a rail gripping member that is engageable with a front end edge of the rail so that the rail gripping member and the fastener received in the hole securely fix the fixing seat to the rail.
 4. The fixing seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front section of the base has a front end forming a rail gripping member that is engageable with a front end edge of the rail to secure the fixing seat to the rail. 